Lesson 2. Government and politics Grammar Revision: Модальные глаголы Phonetics: Ритмика
Read text ”Political System
OF
THE USA” and
translate it into Russian.
Political
System
OF
THE USA
The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia along the Potomac River (Washington, D.C.), is the capital of a federal union of 50 states. Under the Constitution, the states delegated many of their sovereign powers to this central government in Washington. But they kept many important powers for themselves. Each of the 50 states, for example, retains the right to run its own public school system, to decide on the qualifications of its voters, to license its doctors and other professionals, to provide police protection for its citizens and to maintain its roads.
In actual practice, and in line with the American tradition of keeping government as close to the people as possible, the states delegate many of these powers to their political subdivisions - counties, cities, towns and villages. Thus, at the lowest political level, residents of small American communities elect village trustees to run their police and fire departments, and elect a board of education to run their schools. On the county level, voters elect executives who are responsible for roads, parks, libraries, sewage and other services, and elect or appoint judges for the courts. The citizens of each state also elect a governor and members of the state legislature.
Under the Constitution, the federal government is divided into three branches, each chosen in a different manner, each able to check and balance the others.
The Executive Branch is headed by the President, who, together with the Vice President, is chosen in nationwide elections every four years (in every year divisible by four). The elective process for a U.S. President is unique. Americans vote for slates of presidential electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives each state has in Congress (a total of 535 persons). The candidate with the highest number of votes in each state wins all the electoral votes of that state. The presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to be elected; if no candidate has a majority, the House of Representatives makes the decision. (In all other state and local elections, voters cast their votes directly for the candidate or referendum on that particular ballot.) Any natural-born American who is 35 years old or older may be elected to this office. The President proposes bills to Congress, enforces federal laws, serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and, with the approval of the Senate makes treaties and appoints federal judges, ambassadors and other members of the Executive Departments (the Departments of State, Defense, Commerce, Justice, etc.). Each Cabinet head holds the title of Secretary and together they form a council called the Cabinet.
The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President, acts as chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death or disability of the President, assumes the Presidency for the balance of his term.
The Legislative Branch is made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The 435 seats in the House of Representatives are allocated on the basis of population, although every state has at least one representative. Each state elects two members of the 100-member Senate; a Senator's term of office is six years.
Both houses must approve a bill for it to become law, but the President may veto or refuse to sign it. If so, Congress reconsiders the bill. If two-thirds of the members of both houses then approve it, the bill becomes law even without the President's signature. In order to amend the Constitution, Congress must pass the proposed amendment by a two-thirds majority vote in each house, and three-fourths of the states must concur.
The Judicial Branch is made up of Federal District Courts (at least one in every state), 11 Federal Courts of Appeals and, at the top, the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate; to minimize political influences, their appointments are for life. Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between states or between citizens of different states.
Vocabulary on the text
allocate, v ‒ назначать; распределять (Syn: divide)
amend, v ‒ 1) исправлять, совершенствовать, улучшать (Syn: improve, make better) 2) вносить изменения, вносить поправки (в законопроект и т. п.) (Syn: revise)
amendment, n ‒ поправка (к резолюции, законопроекту) amendment to the constitution - поправка к конституции
assume, v ‒ принимать, брать на себя (ответственность, управление) (Syn: undertake)
balance, n ‒ остаток
ballot, 1. n ‒ 1) баллотировочный шар; избирательный бюллетень 2) баллотирование; голосование (преим. тайное) open ballot - открытое голосование secret ballot - тайное голосование
community, n ‒ 1) местное сообщество 2) община, землячество
concur, v ‒ сходиться в мнениях, приходить к общему выводу, соглашаться. (Syn: agree, assent).
county, n ‒ округ (административно-территориальная единица в США)
court, n ‒ суд; судья; судьи
delegate, v ‒ делегировать; уполномочивать; передавать полномочия to delegate authority - передавать полномочия (Syn: entrust)
divisible, adj. ‒ делящийся без остатка, кратный (by) (Syn: aliquot)
elect, v ‒ а) избирать (голосованием) to elect unanimously - выбирать единогласно (Syn: choose) б) назначать (на должность), делать назначения
elective, adj. ‒ избирательный
elector, n ‒ 1) избиратель (тот, кто участвует в выборах или имеет право на участие в них) 2) выборщик, член коллегии выборщиков (на президентских выборах в США)
enforce, v ‒ а) проводить в жизнь; придавать законную силу (правовому акту) б) осуществлять, приводить в исполнение
head, n ‒ (= head up) возглавлять, руководить, управлять (Syn: be head of, direct, supervise, manage)
legislature, n ‒ 1) законодательная власть; законодательные учреждения 2) законодательный орган штата
nationwide, adj. ‒ общенациональный; всенародный, народный, общенародный (Syn: countrywide, national, public)
power, n ‒ а) власть; политическая власть б) (powers) право, полномочия, власть delegation of powers - делегирование полномочий power of veto - право вето legislative/executive/judicial power - законодательная, исполнительная, судебная власть (Syn: jurisdiction, authority)
propose, v ‒ предлагать; вносить предложение
qualification, n ‒ 1) а) (обычно qualifications) квалификация; подготовленность, пригодность; навык; степень квалифицированности; профессионализм 2) оценка, характеристика (деятельности, взглядов)
reconsider, v ‒ пересматривать, обдумывать заново
resident, n ‒ а) постоянно проживающее лицо б) житель local residents - местные жители
serve, v ‒ (as/for) служить (чем-л.)
slate, n ‒ список кандидатов (на выборах)
trustee, n ‒ 1. 1) доверительный собственник; лицо, распоряжающееся имуществом на началах доверительной собственности Public Trustee - государственный попечитель (по управлению имуществом частных лиц) 2) член правления, совета
unique, adj. ‒ уникальный, единственный в своем роде, исключительный (Syn: unequalled, unrivalled)
veto ‒ 1. n 1) вето, запрещение, запрет 2) право вето 2. v 1) налагать вето (на что-л.) 2) запрещать (Syn: forbid, prohibit)
vote, v ‒ а) голосовать б) постановлять большинством голосов, принимать решение большинством голосов (Syn: declare)
voter, n ‒ 1) избиратель; лицо, имеющее право голоса (Syn: elector) 2) участник голосования, голосующий
тень
act as ‒ выполнять какую-л функцию
appoint judge ‒ назначать судью
board of education ‒ (Board of Education) совет по вопросам образования
cast a vote (ballot) - голосовать (на выборах); опускать избирательный бюлле
decide case ‒ вынести решение по делу
hold the title ‒ называться
maintain roads ‒ следить за дорогами, поддерживать дороги в порядке
make treaty ‒ составлять (заключать) договор
provide protection ‒ обеспечивать защиту
two‒thirds majority ‒ большинство, составляющее две трети
Phonetic exercises
Distribute the words according to the type of reading.
District, union, important, system, decide, protection, community, department, judge, vote, enforce, amendment.
Grammar exercises
Give three forms of the following verbs.
Be, keep, run, choose, win, have, make, hold, become.